2018 Volkswagen Polo first drive review

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2018 Volkswagen Polo first drive review

2018 Volkswagen Polo first drive video review

That old adage that great things come in small packages is no better replicated in real life than with the latest Volkswagen Polo.

The German brand’s urban runabout has constantly been one of the best little cars on the planet, but the new, sixth-generation model that has landed in local showrooms brings with it an even greater degree of sophistication, the latest in safety technology and a more spacious cabin while remaining affordable to buy and own.

Sure, it’s not the cheapest city car in the segment, with the initial three-model range starting at $17,990 driveaway for the entry-level Trendline with a five-speed manual gearbox, but it is a substantial entrée into the German brand that is both appealing to first car buyers and those wanting to downsize from a larger car.

In its most basic guise, the Trendline rides on 15-inch steel wheels with hubcaps, has cloth trim seats, air conditioning, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, tyre pressure monitoring and an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen with a reverse camera and smartphone mirroring for Apple and Android devices, effectively giving owners access to sat nav, voice activation and messaging functions on the go.

2018 Volkswagen Polo Photo: Supplied

Importantly, it comes with low- and high-speed automated emergency braking, a driver fatigue warning and full airbag protection for outboard occupants. On top of that, owners can upgrade the safety credentials with an optional Driver Assistance Package that costs $1400 and brings adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go in heavy traffic, blind spot monitoring and semi-automated parking with what Volkswagen calls Manoeuvre Braking, where the car will automatically stop when an object is too close.

Under the bonnet, the Polo Trendline is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo charged three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 70kW of power and 175Nm of torque with a claimed average fuel consumption of 4.8L/100km.

Despite having a broader spread of ratios, the optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which costs an additional $2500, increases fuel consumption slightly to 5.0L/100km.

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If you’re after a little more of everything, the Comfortline variant, which costs $20,490 driveaway, adds 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and wipers and higher-grade cloth trim while the engine has been upgraded to produce 85kW and 200Nm and the standard manual gearbox has six, rather than five, speeds. Similarly, it can be optioned with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic for $2500, which – quizzically, when compared to the Trendline – makes it more efficient with a claimed average of 5.0L/100km against 5.1L/100km for the manual. Whatever the powertrain configuration, the reality is the Polo is one of the most efficient cars in its class anyway.

For an extra $1000, and for a short time, Volkswagen will offer a Launch Edition that adds larger 16-inch alloys, front fog lights, darkened tail lamps, window tinting and a wireless charging pad in the centre console. More permanent members of the Polo team will arrive later in the year, including the GTI hot hatch and the funky Beats edition with an upgraded audio system and a splash of colour in the cabin.

In all variants, the sixth-generation Polo is significantly larger than the car it replaces, which effectively means it uniquely straddles a space in between light cars, such as the Mazda2, Suzuki Swift and Kia Rio, and small hatchbacks the next size up, like the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30.

Utilising Volkswagen’s modular MQB platform that also underpins the Golf, Tiguan and Arteon, it rides on a wheelbase that is 78mm longer than its predecessor, is 81mm longer in overall length and 69mm wider with a boot that has 71L more cargo carrying capacity.

It’s a smart looking car in the metal that nicely integrates VW’s latest design language into a smaller package.

But it’s inside the cabin where the Polo really shines, particularly in this class, as the large infotainment screen looks classy sitting flush within the centre console, the instruments are clear and concise, there’s plenty of cubby holes in the centre console to keep small items secure and the general fit and finish and quality of materials is well beyond the norm for urban runabouts.

It’s also hugely practical with plenty of space, both in the front and the rear, with comfortable seats, good vision and a boot big enough to handle everyday duties for a small family.

On the roads in the Adelaide Hills where we sampled it for the first time in Australia this week, the Polo impressed with a level of sophistication in its driving character that few city cars can match.

The three-pot engine has the typical chubbiness found in others with this configuration, in that it offers decent, but not spectacular, pulling power in low and middle revs, but runs out of puff towards the top of the range. It’s relatively quiet when cruising and yet has a thrummy exhaust note as the revs rise.

It’s not perfect though, and certainly won’t win a traffic light grand prix away from a standstill, especially with the five-speed manual in the Trendline which has super-tall gear ratios designed for higher speeds in Europe, which means it requires a big prod on the throttle to get moving and you’ll be constantly rowing through the cogs in traffic and when driving up hills.

The dual-clutch automatic is much more convenient in that regard, but it quickly searches for the tallest ratio to save fuel which labours the engine and makes it feel and sound a bit lumpy.

And, to be honest, the extra grunt in the Comfortline specification isn’t that obvious unless you’re wringing its neck.

However you drive it though, the steering is well weighted and positive across the ratio, the brakes feel solid and the Polo has a sure-footed stance through the bends without pretending to have any sporty pretensions. Having said that, the suspension is always busy trying to iron out any imperfections in the road, and perhaps a little firm for Australia’s pock-marked network, but has good compliance and only feels crashy over harsh bumps.

At the end of the day, Volkswagen’s latest Polo is a lot of car for the money, and one that resets a few benchmarks among its peers.

It’s a smart car to look at, to drive and to own with a veneer of European polish and panache that others simply cannot match.